Northern Bound
by Missadventures
Summary: Soya was trapped as a werewolf for centuries. Now that she is freed, she feels she must make her way up to Skyrim but must make her way through Solsteim and Cyrodiil first.
1. Hunter's Game

For a while, all is dark.

Feelings of gloom unawareness sweep through the atmosphere. The only thing that can be heard is the rustling of Solsthiem pines as wind blows through their thick branches.

But in the distance, refuge slowly creeps from behind colossal mountains. Sunlight cowers behind these great, snowcapped mountains. It then regains confidence, ready to shine for another day. Its delicate rays kiss the dewy cheeks of morning air, and admire their reflection cast across miles of soft, still snow.

This snow is hard, and vibrates with every gallop a great creature takes. Her great, padded paws strike the snow for only a second at a time, the day has begun and she must return home. To this creature, beautiful warm sun is venom. She feels the delicate rays rebel and turn lethal against its thick pelt.

A hunter, nordic, strong and brawny leans against the rough trunk of a tree. In here his is hidden with the branches falling all around him, forming a sanctuary. He positions his bow carefully enough to remain silent as he takes aim between two eerie eyes. Muscles in his arm constrict and tighten as he pulls his arm back, skillfully delivering the blow.

Staring into space, the creature attempts to remember home. _Home.. home.. home.._ it repeats over and over in its humanoid mind. Before its complex mind can pull together _home_ something blows it back.

Her worst enemy, silver, is shot straight into her tough chest. It crackles and burns at the immortal flesh, flame eats at whatever it can get its claws on as the creature doubles over.

The hunter rises and walks towards his game. In his head he puts together locations and tools he can utilize to cure and present the creature's pelt.

"Thank you for doing my dirty work, young man.." creaks a wild, rarely used voice.

The hunter then finds his legs useless, swallowed by a purple glow, he looks up to see the face of the woman who has paralyzed him.

"You _bitch,_" He gasps, and the woman laughs at this word he calls her. It closely resembles the word given to what she really is. She cackles and hisses with laughter while he spits out words considered vile in his society.

"Good, good job.." she begins as she then raises her hand, and puts the man out of his misery. She creaks, "Now you, unlike him you can have another chance." She then removes the hungry arrow from the beast's chest, raises her hand and light greater than the morning sun flourishes across the surrounding forest. It reveals the wounded creature's true form, a young human girl.

"Child, I may I have lifted your curse but the full moon still plagues you.." says the witch, "But you have more to do than wallow in these forests, that I know. Get up; I'll let you figure out your destiny yourself. A friend of mine in Skyrim waits for you" She knew the girl would follow her orders, or she would surely die.

She also knew who she _was_, and most importantly, what or whom this girl could create.

She then disappeared, and the journey to Skyrim had begun.


	2. Primal Instincts

A soft wind blows through the forest, rustling the thick branches.

But closer to the ground, all is not at peace.

She wails and wretches, not used to her human body. It's cold, and instead of claws she has fleshy, pale fingers.

Before, when something would cling to her thick hide, she could easily roll on the ground, it would come off and everything would be back to normal. But now the snow just bit at her skin on contact.

This was a really horrible day.

Farther away from this gut-wrenching scene sat a quaint little cabin. It was of traditional Solstheim style, made of logs with a large stone fireplace jutting upwards to the sky.

In here sat Raina Moore. As usual, she was alone. During this time she had to herself, she would be reading or preparing dinner for her father and herself. But today was different; she could hear it in the forest.

She somehow manages to weasel her way out of the cabin's clutter of abundant chairs and tables that congregate around the calm fire. Then, she deals with the task of locating her massive shoes. As much as she didn't want to deal with the cold today, it looked as if this was for her own, and perhaps someone else's, own good. She closes the rickety cabin door and ties one end of a rope around her waist, and the other around the door.

The wailing seemed to get louder as Raina trudged north, she couldn't tell if it was some sort of small child or a dying animal. She barely sees what appears to be _yet another_ Solstheim lunatic.

The wailing girl continues to rip at her skin. At this point, she was really at wit's end and a quick death would suffice. She glances over at the hunter's cold stiff body and notices his skinning knife. It takes less than a minute for her to start digging it into where she believes her temple in, but the frost that paralyzes her hands only allows her to take off skin.

"By Andraste! You're mad! _You're crazy mad!_" roars a voice that comes with hands that seize her hands and drag her backwards. She violently lashes back and forth, but the large hands refuse to budge. She then feels warm lips press against her ear, "Don't even try, little girl. You're coming with me."

It takes twice as long for Raina to drag the madwoman back home, she'd seen the dead body, but refused to believe it was murder.

She then hands the woman clean clothing, and heats up the cauldron.

"Put this on." She says with a voice dripping with Nordic attitude. Silently, the girl puts the large clothing on, it's far too big but the warmth embraces her. It's been centuries since she's slipped into anything of the sort.

"What's your name?" Raina asks, keeping her face turned towards the hearth.

And at this moment, a brief memory washes over the mad girl. It's of great halls and massive hearths. A woman, thin and short, calling out to her..

"Soya." She answers, plainly as possible but inside she's stunned by her own voice. It has changed, once premature.. but now just as high and cheery as the woman's from her memories.

"You don't look mad, Soya. What were you doing out there, doll?" Raina asks with a voice like honey, she never liked using an attitude, and relief washed over her now that she could give it a rest.

"Don't know." Soya mumbles. Talking for the first time in so long scared her, she just wanted to play it safe.

"If you're traveling, tell me where you're going. I can help you get there.." Raina says softly, as precious as this girl was, she needed her out before her father got home.

"Skyrim." Soya says while fumbling with vials. They're filled with a foul smelling liquid, the smell singes the inside of her nose.

"Don't drink that," Raina says, "My father makes that... 'kinda why I need you out of here." She sees the disappointment in Soya's face, "Let's put a bandage on your head and I'll take you to the docks."


	3. Fresh Friendship

Raina never had friends. Well, real ones at least. Her father was an illegal spirits dealer. His customers were often very friendly, whether it was from the drugs eating at their brain, or just plain stupidity.

Since Raina had no mother, just her father, she would be the woman of the house. After cleaning and cooking all day, she would then have to fix ale and clean skooma pipes for the men that sat in the chairs crowding her small home. They would grab her and make remarks, but after living eighteen years with her father, she was extremely used to this.

But now she was out of her cabin, with a rope tied around her thin waist she guided the girl beside her to the river docks miles away. Looking at the girl, she guessed they were the same age. Soya had something about her though, she was delicate and scared, yet her dark eyes had the look of strength about them.

"Where are you from, Soya?" Raina asks in her usual pleasant tone.

"I don't know." Soya answers plainly.

"Surely you must know where your home is.. unless you knocked your head real good." Raina says, raising a blonde eyebrow.

"Yeah. It hurts real bad." Soya answers, playing along. But she's shocked inside, as her old human instincts come back to her the struggle to regain memories is painstakingly difficult.

They walk along a little farther, but Raina can't help but ask more questions. Nobody ever just had a polite converstation with her and being the loud Nord she was, she hated how quiet Soya was.

"Why are you going to Skyrim?" Raina asks.

"I don't know. I just feel like I need to go there." Soya answers, talking more than she usually does.

"Maybe that's where your home is. 'Mind works in mysterious ways."

As the said this, a river became visible. It looked shallow and narrow. Nothing a great Skyrim-bound vessel could travel on. A constant icy wind whips at their faces. Raina wants to look directly at Soya's face one last time so she'll never forget, but finds this really hard to do.

"Soya, I guess you'll be taking this until you get to Fort Frostmoth. Then use this money to get on the vessel headed for Skyrim." Raina could feel sadness in her heart. Soya had given her freedom for a couple of hours. Now that she was gone she would have to return home and deal with her father.

"I'm scared," Soya says, "Come with me." Her heart is beating 20 miles a second. She tries to ponder what she'll do, but she can't read and being alone seemed like an impossible task.

"I have things to do, I can't. I really can't." Raina lets her hesitation slip into her voice. She wanted to go. In fact, she had always dreamed of leaving the cabin in the wilderness but it just seemed like a really good dream.

"Yes you can.. I need help. Just come with me." Soya grabs Raina's hands. Her grip threatens to never let go.

"All aboard! I'm leaving now ladies, sort your shit out or wait 'till I get back." says a grungy captain. He spits and makes his way into his small vessle. A crippled leg makes him wobble.

As Raina protests against going, Soya's grip pulls her forward and onto the moving ship. "Let's have some fun." Soya says. They both smile, something they were both incapable of for many years.

_xxx. Hi everyone, and thank you for reading. If you could possibly leave me a review that would be lovely. I need feedback to keep me going. Speaking of which, i'm working full time at the moment so I won't have chapters in all the time. Bear with me._


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